The present disclosure relates to a composite foam and concrete foundation and a composite foam and concrete wall and a method of mounting the wall to the foundation.
Construction of a typical footing is very labor intensive and can take a considerable amount of time to construct. The typical structure requires a hole to be excavated to a desired depth such that a footing can be constructed that will not be affected by frost or other conditions created by the climate. However, in some construction projects excavation of the soil is not required. The footing is then typically placed concrete. Once cured, a foundation wall, typically cinder blocks secured with mortar, a cementious wall or a masonary wall is then constructed with the footings providing the necessary support for the structure. Once the foundation wall is cured, soil is backfilled around the foundation wall to provide a desired grade away from the foundation.
However, excavation of the soil, placing the footing, waiting for the footing to cure, constructing the foundation wall and waiting a sufficient time for curing takes a significant amount of time and effort that increases the cost of construction. It may be beneficial and cost effective to utilize a foam foundation that can be utilized to support a foundation wall, which may or may not be preformed.
A typical wall includes a bottom plate or foundation sill that is attached to a foundation, typically a concrete slab or concrete wall. Bottom ends of spaced apart vertical studs are secured to the bottom plate and a top ends of the spaced apart vertical studs are secured to a top plate. A height of the wall is essentially defined by the length of the vertical studs. The wall provides the support for the outer wall material, such as wood panels and siding, and also the interior wall material, such as sheet rock. Insulation is typically placed between the studs when the stud wall is raised into place and the outer wall material is secured to the stud wall.
Construction of the stud wall is very labor intensive and can take a considerable amount of time to construct. The studs must be cut to a precise length and secured to the bottom and top plates, typically with nails. In the event windows and/or doors are to be placed into the wall, then the studs must be cut to accommodate the required space for the window and/or door and the space must be reinforced with a lintel, which also must be constructed by the construction workers.
Once the stud wall is formed, it is raised and secured to the foundation, typically with bolts that are set into the concrete foundation and through bores in the bottom plate. The bores in the bottom plate are positioned about the bolts. Washers are positioned on the bolts and nuts threadably engage each bolt to frictionally secure the bottom plate to the foundation. Once the stud wall is raised, the outer wall is secured to the studs typically with nails and then siding is secured to the outer wall.
Electric wiring and plumbing are then installed which may including drilling through the studs to place the wiring and plumbing in the desired locations within the wall. Installation of the electric wiring and plumbing can be very labor intensive, time consuming and costly.
In many developing locations, such as the oil fields of North Dakota, the lack of adequate housing is an issue. While people are willing to pay for the construction of a residence, the labor force is not available to meet the housing construction needs. The use of a standard wood stud frame for the residence is one of the impediments to having the required housing built due to the time required to properly build a structure with stud walls.
Also, while quality lumber is currently available, it is foreseeable that in the future that the wood required for the stud wall may not be available. As such, there is a need for a wall, that does not require wood, or other renewable materials, which can be quickly constructed while having good energy and sound efficiency.